Las Vegas Weekly

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Spencer Patterson

Wed, Apr 7, 2010 (5:30 p.m.)

Like most Dreaming of Lions releases, this self-made full-length comes as a blue-bottomed CD-R, housed in a stapled paper sleeve. Don’t be fooled—Chris Leland has stepped his game up appreciably with A Lovers Vow!

The Details

Dreaming of Lions

Weekly Band Guide

Dreaming of Lions

From the opening organ hum of leadoff track “Say!” the project’s living-room folk blossoms into an experience more expansive and texturally varied than what’s come before. Frequent collaborator Wyatt McKenzie serves as producer, and his musical acumen—and advanced multi-instrumental skills—provide a counterpoint to Leland’s own taste and vision. Electric/acoustic interplay abounds, turning simplish tunes like “Horse to Ride” into must-relistens.

Still, the most singular aspect of Dreaming of Lions’ sound remains Leland’s voice—a not-so-distant cousin to Daniel Johnston and early Will Oldham—and his lyrics, from the sing-along chorus of “Tall Buildings” (“I have the mountains/You have the trees/I have the bars/You have the tall buildings”) to the whimsical payoff of “Shoes Are Untied” (“Shoes are untied, and I’m too drunk to drive ... at all ... at least not that far”). It’s just that here, his thoughts and words sail on thicker and more compelling wings.